But act not in thy own affliction, Son:
Repent the fin; but if the punishment
Thou cant avoid, felf-prefervation bids;
Or th' execution leave to high difpofal,
And let another hand, not thine, exact
Thy penal forfeit from thyfelf; perhaps
God will relent, and quit thee all his debt;
Who ever more approves and more accepts
(Beft pleas'd with humble' and filial fubmiffion)
Him who imploring mercy fues for life,
Than who self-rigorcus chooses death as due;
Which argues over-juft, and felf-difpleas'd
For felf-offenfe, more than for God offended.
Reject not then what offer'd means; who knows
But God hath fet before us, to return thee
Home to thy country and his facred house,
Where thou mayst bring thy offerings, to avert
His further ire, with prayers and vows renew'd?

305

510

515

520

SAMS. His pardon I implore; but as for life, To what end should I feek it? When in strength All mortals I excell'd, and great in hopes With youthful courage and magnanimous thoughts Of birth from Heav'n foretold and high exploits, 525 Full of divine instinct, after some proof

Of acts indeed heroic, far beyond

The fons of Anak, famous now and blaz'd,
Fearless of danger, like a petty God

affront.

I walk'd about admir'd of all and dreaded
On hoftile ground, none daring my
Then fwoll'n with pride into the fnare I fell

530

of

Of fair fallacious looks, venereal trains,
Soften'd with pleasure and voluptuous life;
At length to lay my head and hallow'd pledge
Of all my strength in the lascivious lap
Of a deceitful concubine, who shore me
Like a tame wether, all my precious fleece,
Then turn'd me out ridiculous, defpoil'd,
Shav'n, and difarm'd among mine enemies.

535

*540

CHO. Defire of wine and all delicious drinks, Which many a famous warrior overturns, Thou couldst reprefs, nor did the dancing ruby Sparkling, out-pour'd, the flavor, or the fmell, Or taste that chears the heart of Gods and men, Allure thee from the cool crystallin stream. SAMS. Wherever fountain or fresh current flow'd Against the eastern ray, translucent, pure

With touch ethereal of Heav'n's fiery rod,

545

550

I drank, from the clear milky juice allaying
Thirst, and refresh'd; nor envy'd them the grape
Whose heads that turbulent liquor fills with fumes.
Сно. O madness, to think ufe of ftrongest wines
And strongest drinks our chief support of health,
When God with thefe forbidd'n made choice to rear
His mighty champion, strong above compare,
Whose drink was only from the liquid brook!

SAMS. But what avail'd this temp'rance, not com

Against another object more enticing?

What boots it at one gate to make defense,

And at another to let in the foe,

Effeminately vanquifh'd? by which means,

[plete

560

Now blind, dishearten'd, fham'd, dishonor'd, quell'd, To what can I be useful, wherein ferve

My nation, and the work from Heav'n impos'd, 565
But to fit idle on the houfhold hearth,

A burd'nous drone; to vifitants a gaze,
Or pity'd object, thefe redundant locks
Robuftious to no purpose clustering down,

Vain monument of ftrength; till length of years 570
And fedentary numnefs craze my limbs

To a contemptible old-age obfcure?

Here rather let me drudge and earn my bread,

Till vermin or the draff of fervile food

Confume me, and oft-invoked death

575

Haften the welcome end of all my pains.

MAN. Wilt thou then ferve the Philistines with that

Which was exprefly giv'n thee to annoy them?

[gift

580

Better at home lie bed-rid, not only idle,
Inglorious, unemploy'd, with age outworn.
But God, who caus'd a fountain at thy prayer
From the dry ground to fpring, thy thirst t' allay
After the brunt of battel, can as easy

585

Caufe light again within thy eyes to fpring,.
Wherewith to ferve him better than thou haft;
And I perfuade me fo; why elfe this ftrength
Miraculous yet remaining in those locks?
His might continues in thee not for nought,
Nor shall his wondrous gifts be frustrate thus.
SAMS. All otherwise to me my thoughts portend,
That these dark orbs no more shall treat with light,
Nor th' other light of life continue long,

But

But yield to double darkness nigh at hand:
So much I feel my genial spirits droop,
My hopes all flat, nature within me seems
In all her functions weary of herself,
My race of glory run, and race of shame,
And I shall shortly be with them that reft.

595

MAN. Believe not these fuggeftions, which proceed From anguish of the mind and humors black,

609

That mingle with thy fancy. I however
Muft not omit a father's timely care

To prosecute the means of thy deliverance

By ransome, or how elfe: mean while be calm,
And healing words from these thy friends admit. 605
SAMS. O that torment should not be confin'd

To the body's wounds and fores,

With maladies innumerable

In heart, head, breaft and reins;

But muft fecret passage find

To th' inmoft mind,

There exercise all his fierce accidents,.

And on her purest spirits prey,

610

As on entrails, joints, and limbs,

With answerable pains, but more intense,

619

Though void of corporal fenfe.

My griefs not only pain me

As a lingring disease,

But finding no redress, ferment and rage,
Nor less than wounds immedicable

620

Rankle, and fefter, and gangrene,

To black mortification.

Thoughts

But now hath caft me off as never known,
And to those cruel enemies,

Whom I by his appointment had provok'd,

Left me all helpless with th' irreparable lofs

"Of fight, referv'd alive to be repeated

645

The fubject of their cruelty or scorn.

Nor am I in the lift of them that hope;

Hopeless are all my evils, all remediless;

This one prayer yet remains, might I be heard,

No long petition, speedy death,

650

The clofe of all my miferies, and the balın.

CHO. Many are the fayings of the wife